The Gryphin and the Dragon
by windchild04
Summary: A young girl wishes for a lavish life style. The plan she comes up with to get it takes an unforseen twist. What will happen when a cursed dragon, a shape shifter, and forces only a select few can control are combined?


Hey everyone this is my first story i hope that you all like it!

i know there are alot of spelling and grammatical errors i'm gonna revise it soon

please R&R

thanks

Chapter 1 - SECRETS

"Not again," Lilith breathed.

She was racing toward her room feeling the fear and anger, she had been full of just moments ago, pour through her lithe frame. Finally reaching her bedroom in the upper level of her family's manor she rushed to her dresser where she had forgotten it just that morning.

There, right where she had left it, was the choker-pendant her mother had given her for her 13th birthday. Even after almost 5 years she had worn it every day and of course the one day she forgot would be the day she very nearly lost control.

It was a pretty thing the pendant was made with the purest silver twisted together to imitate a cross with a vine of roses running up it. Carfully cut rubies were placed along the vine adding detail to it and a sapphire the size of a pea was placed at the center of the cross. It was suspended on a velvet ribbon as black as pitch.

As soon as she spotted it, without a second thought, it was snatched off the table by her trembling hands. Her breath was harsh and labored as Lilith quickly pulled her raven hair back and tied the pendant around her slender throat. Cool to the touch it soothed her heated skin.

Lilith thanked god that she had made it in time. The air still felt like it was filled with static her anger boiling there just under the surface of her control. She gentally rested her fingers over the saphire as the peace and calm, that she waited for came, slowly melted through her.

"That was definantly, much too close," she sighed, to no in particular the relief evident in her voice as she slid to the floor to catch her breath.

_'How did no one notice that I forgot the pendant today'_ Lilith wondered as she rubbed her head trying to dispell the pounding that lingered there.

Her brothers knew how important it was that she wear it. Well... Malphius, her one and only older brother out of five, knew from first hand experiance. The twins, Jacob and Jasper, knew too, but only what their mother had deamed nessicary, she didn't want to scare them. After all they were still children in most peoples eyes if not thier own. They had just turned 13 a few weeks past and now felt they had to tell every one that now they were adults, not kids. Her two youngest siblings came to mind as well. She hoped that Cliff, age 5, and Simon, age 8, were behaving themselves for the Lady Fredwick. Lately they seemed to be taking after Jas and Jake alot more than anyone would have liked. The twins were notorious for their many pranks and devilish acts commited over the years. Thinking of them brought back a torent of anger and frustration she'd been feeling since that morning.

Yes, the cause of her currnet distress was indeed due to the actions of her unruly siblings.

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The morning had been a bit hectic to say the least. Lilith found herself rudely awakened not by her maid as was usual, but by quite a powerful kick to the stomach from an overly excited Cliff and a strugleing Simon. Both of whom were wrestling on her bed.

"What the hell ... is going on?!" Lilith gasped trying desperatly to find the breath that had been so violntly knocked from her body.

Both children were completely unaware of her distress however and shreeked in surprise and pleasure as she made a grab for them. This planned failed miserably though as both little boys jumped on her babbling about how **she** was saposed to take them to play with Auntey Liz.

"What are you talking about," Lilith demanded quite confused since it was thier mother that usually took them to visit their 'Aunty Liz' as they liked to call Lady Fredwick. She greatly enjoyed her sleep and was not at all happy about being woken so early and with such force. If it had been anyone else she would have them begging for mercy while they stared cross eyed at the point of her blade as it traced the curve of their forehead.

_'How did I not hear them when they first came in' _Lilith groaned to herself._ 'Maybe you shouldn't have stayed up so late reading that dusty old tome?' _her inner-self scolded.

Lilith rubbed a hand over her eyes to try and clear them of the remaing sleep that she obiously wasn't going to get to. As she cracked open one eye the violet orb setteled on the two loud mouths that were still babbling something about Mother and Father leaving on another one of their rutine quests. Suddenly wide awake Lilith started to reach for her robe, but relized she had fallen asleep without changing out of the clothes she had worn all day yesterday. Frowning she told herself she definatly needed a bath as she flew down the stairs seaching wildly for her departing parents.

Her keen hearing detected several people scurrying about in the front room. Of course it could just be their two servents gathering supplies for her parents random and yet totally predictable excursion, but she doubted her bothers were even woken at all until her parents were walking out the door.

Another briliant deduction of course for there just starting to walk out the door were the Lord and Lady Valkerie.

Lord Valkerie ,aka Swordmaster Landon, was dect out in the same light armor and broad sword that he claimed he had aquired from dwarves during his one of his many adventures as a young knight for the king. None of the children were really sure about that tale however, for every time he told it it just got more and more outlandish until the last time he had told it it was down right unbelievable.

Lady Valkerie on the other hand had no armor on, but then it would only hinder her more that it would help if by chance they were attacked, that in itself being unlikely. Instead she carried about her an air that would discourage even the bravest of warriors if they knew enough to recognize what it was exactly that they were feeling. Being a witch that specialized in shapeshifting was at first frightening to most, but Sargonia was quickly liked by everyone for her kindness and wit as well as her ability to fight equelly along side her husband. Together they were some of the best fighters in all of the kingdom.

"Sar, we really need to get going," her father had stated just as Lilith came to a stop at the front door. Both of them had already loaded their light packs onto the backs of their horses. These were not just any horses either, but their prized winged-horses they had aquired and earned the trust of several years earlier. Both the beasts were a dazzeling snow-white that _**almost**_ looked a light blue.

Sensing her sudden appearance they both turned to look at the face of their only daughter. She had had a rough morning anyone could see that just from looking at her diseveled appearance.

"Oh, Lilith dear you'll look after all your brothers while your father and I are away won't you?" Sar asked as she glided forward her inhuman grace showing in every step.

"But Mother, today you promised to work with me on mastering..." Lilith was cut off when her mother held up her hand to halt all protest.

"I know dear, but this quest comes directly form King Lottel himself. Your father and I have been waiting on this for a long time and it simply cant be poseponed." She turned walking toward her steed which had begun to paw the ground in impatients wanting to be with it's mate that hovered just over the tree tops . "I'm sorry honey I'll make it up to you," Sar called at the same time she swung onto the back of the beast and it lept into the sky.

"We'll be back in about a week!" Landon boomed, laughing at the disbelieveing shock written on Lilith's usually serious face.

As they faded into the clouds and rays of morning light Lilith could only stare as a stupified expression spread across her features. She couldn't believe that they just ran off on another one of their rediculous quests leaveing her to watch over her brothers by herself. Sure the servants would be there to help if they could, but to tell the truth neither of them could even hope to handle any of the boys if they had set their minds against it.

Risigning herself to her fate Lilith made her way back up to her room to take care of the little troublemakers that woken her up that morning. She had found them still on her bed making a mess of it as rolled around wrestling.

"Alright, are you munchkins ready to go visit Lady Fredwick for the day?"

Lilith was met with cries of impatients to her question. Both of the boys saw Lady Fredwick as something of a second mother and loved her dearly. Lady Fredwick was unable to have children of her own and so had gladly watch all of the Valkerie children at one time or another during their lives.

Lilith gathered some things for the boys to take with them from their own room and yelled back to the Miss Sally, the cook, that she was taking the boys with her. After a quick and gruff reply from the middle aged woman, that had worked for her parents since before she was even born, Lilith made her exit.

The boys carried a samll pack each and she carried a fully stuffed one that had some overnight things in it. For she planned to let the two boys stay the entire week if Lady Fredwick consented to such and idea. Lilith thought she would and a small smile flickered at the corner of her mouth at the idea of spending a whole week without having two more children she had to babysit. She ran to the stables and quickly sadled up two horses, one for her and one for the boys to share since Cliff was too young to ride by himself.

Her horse's name was Blade for a blade perfectly described him. His coat was white-silver in sharp contrast to his mane and tail which were the color of coal. He had been given to her on her fifteenth birthday. Her parents ahd said it was her resposibility to train and care for the young colt. The first time Lilith had laid eye on Blade she thought him beautiful and he was only more so now that he was almost fully grown. Nither Ciff nor Simon had a horse they could claim as thier own yet, but they would one day and Lilith only hoped they found as graet a companion as she had.

The three made their way swiftly down the road toward the Lady Fredwick's manor house that was but a few miles away. They would reach thier destination in just a little over an hour if they didn't have to stop for anything. The boys chatted excitedly between themselves as Lilith led the way. Lilith needed to hurry and get the boys to Lady Fredwick's place so she could return home. Hopefully before the twins could wake up and start their day by causing the servants and other workers any undue trouble.

After riding for what seemed an eternity, for the two little boys that were just behind her didn't shut up the entire time, the Fredwick manor came into veiw nesseled between a patch of forest and a gentally sloping hill.

_'YAY! Finally we made it!', _Lilith silently rejoiced at the sight before her.

"Come on boys lets hurry. We're almost there.", she yelled as she nudged Blaze into a faster pace.

Behind her Lilith heard Simon tell Cliff to hang on tighter unless he wanted to fall off. The pounding of hooves drew closer and suddenly it was a race between the dark haired beauty and the two sandy haired boys as all three cried for their mounts to go faster.

Several men that were working in the courtyard of the manor looked up from their tasks to eye the children that were racing for them. One of them simply sighed and made his way inside to tell his Lady that her guests had arrived. The others looked around anciously wanting to get out of the way of the speeding horses. They had nothing to worry about though for the gates were the finish line and Lilith pulled up just enough to let her brothers beat her by a nose.

"Whoo Hoo! We so beat you Lilith," Cliff giggled in excitement.

"Oh, it's only because I let you and you know it," Lilith countered as a smile danced over her features.

"Na uh, we were goin' really fast weren't we Aunty Liz," Cliff asked as his favorite 'Aunty' joined them.

"Aunty Liz!" came the all expected greeting from Simon.

Both the boys were quickly down and telling Lady Fredwick all bout how their parents had left early that morning on another quest and that was why Lilith was the one to bring them to come and visit. Liz looked questioningly toward Lilith when she grasped what the two excited children were trying to tell her.

They all strolled inside and the boys were gone in a flash to find the gifts Lady Fredwick said were waiting for them in their rooms. Turning to Lilith the Lady raised an eyebrow in question. Sighing Lilith quickly explained what had transpired that morning and loudly wondered if Lady Fredwick would be interested in keeping the younger children until her parents returned. A smile flushed the Lady's features at the thought of being able to have the precious little boys around for a whole week. She redily agreed and Lilith made ready to depart leaveing the pack she had brought with her brother's dear Aunty Liz.

_'Lady Fredwick really does help us out alot when Mom and Dad aren't around,' _Lilith thought to herself as she sped off down the road away from the Fredwick manor and back to her own home to see what trouble had been caused in her absense.

Lilith had made much better time returning home without two little munchkins there to slow her down and was now sitting on the front steps, trying to come up with an alternative for the training she had had planned that day. Jake and Jas could not have picked a worse time than at that very moment to come racing around the corner of the house chasing their current nanny. Lilith really had given up trying to remember all the names of their differnt nannies over the years. It seemed that as soon as her parents had hired a new one the twins would perform some unspeakable horror that would drive the poor woman away. The only thing the nannies really sucseded in doing was attracting the majority of the little imps traps and tricks in their many attempts to escape supervision.

As Lilith watched, the twins, laughing maniacally, chased after Nanny 1, what Lilith now dubbed the fleeing woman. The twins were usually up before everyone else and today it seemed was no exception. How they could have so much energy so early in the day was a great mystery to Lilith. They seemed to always have their hands in some sort of mischief. Each of them now carried a bucket that sloshed some sort of greenish brown slime as they ran after Nanny 1. The slime was commenly found in the pond that was just off behind the manor. It was nasty stuff filled with only-god-knows-what and it smelled like rotten fish to top it all off.

Sighing in recognition of a hard day ahead Lilith grudgingly decided she had better interfere before things got to out of control. Slipping off the steps where she had been sitting Lilith made her way into the courtyard to confront the little devils.

_'Really'_, Lilith silently fumed,_ 'can't they control themselves for just one day so that I don't have to go around fixing everything up after they make a mess of it?'_

_'This just isn't my day'_ Lilith continued in her mind as she angerly stode to the center of the courtyard so she could intercept the twins when they ran by.

"Look out Jake!" Jasper yelled when his sparkling green eyes met Lilith's firey violet ones.

Distracted from the chase Jake glanced over his shoulder casting a wondering look at his twin.

_'What's wrong? Is the game over all ready?'_, thethought flashed through Jasper's mind as he met the matching set of emerald eyes that belong to his counterpart.

In that moment of inattention Jake lost his footing as he tripped over a rock that had found it's way into his path. As he fell the bucket that he had previously been trying to pour over thier nanny went flying through the air only to land with not three feet in front of Lilith splattering her rather new, if slightly wrinkled, outfit with the stinking slime, mud, and stringy grass that had earlier lined the bed of the pond.

Nanny 1 hadn't stopped in her mad dash for the stables and only now did she curiously peek around the door to see what could have posibly distracted her tormentors enough to give up thier game. Jas held his hand out for Jake and pulled his counterpart upright asking if he was hurt as he did so. They both turned then to stare wide eyed at their sister as she stood there in shocked surprise at what had happened.

A few flecks of mud/slime (she wasn't exactly sure) were splattered up her face and all over her clothes. She also felt a particuarly large piece of mud/slime slowly sliding down her waist length hair.

Jake was horrifed quickly looking back and forth between his sister and the bucket that was supposed to be in his hand. He hadn't even relize he'd let go of it until now. His sister that he admired more than any of his other siblings was stareing at him with the promise a slow and pain filled death in her shimmering eyes. He was trying to think of a way to apologize that convinced Lilith he truely didn't deserve to be tortured when Jasper just had to burst out in laughter at her unfortunate state.

The only person Jasper really got along with was Jake and that was probally because the two were so close they sometimes shared each others thoughts, litterally. Jasper's bubbleing emotions poured into Jake's mind and he did the only thing that seemed to fit, he laughed. Jake couldn't help it really Jasper's way of seeing the situation really was quite hillarious. In Jasper mind the game couldn't been ended in a much more satisfing way so Lilith wasn't really surprised when he laughed right to her face.

When Jake laughed along with him though Lilith really lost it. Jake was much sweeter in Lilith's mind than Jasper could ever hope to be and him splattering her with pond slime was an accident that she was willing to forgive, after several apologeise of couse. Jake looked up to Lilith and she knew it so why was he joining his evil twin in mocking her. Lilith reach over her shoulder for her Sai blades that always reasted there. She'd show them what happened when they dared to laugh at her misfortune. Her hand close over air though as she remembered her rush that morning.

Silently she cursed herself for her inatention. Growing up with five brothers, even if she was second oldest, had taught her to always be prepared for any surprises they might decide to launch at her. The Sai blades were her favorite weapons she had chosen over the years.

Lord and Lady Valkerie decided that from an early age they would teach their children how to fight. So when a child of the Valkerie household had their tenth birthday their parents would take them into ' the room', as the two youngest had come to call it. In this room, was a vast collection, of just about every kind of weapon imaginable. Most were either gifts or had been collected by the Lord and Lady on the many adventures they had completed together over the years.

Lilith's Sai blades were the first, of several weapons she called her own, that she had chosen over the years. Her mother belived them to be of elvish origin for they were forged from an extreamly light, but durable metal that humans did not posses. Each blade was about two feet long with a crossgaurd that came out and pointed back in the same direction as the blade. The handles had each been wrapped in strips of soft black leather that criss-crossed over itself tying off just below the crossgaurd which was covered in vines and symbols which no one was sure of the meaning to. These crept up the blades of the weapons giving them a beautful, but deadly appearance. However, the most eye-cattching part lay on the end of the hilt in the form of a glittering emerald the size of a robin's egg.

Lilith cursed her forgetfulness once again. At that moment she would like nothing better than to threaten the two laughing hyenas with a slow and painful death on the points of Swift and Strike, the names she had given to the blades.

As Lilith had stood there contemplateing their fate she didn't notice that Jasper had snuck up beside her until he yelled that she had missed a spot and then proceded to sling his remaining bucket of slime over her to cover the last few clean spots that were left.

"AARGHHH!!!! That does it!!!", Lilith screamed as fury boiled through her, "I'm gonna kill you!"

Sensing their coming doom Jake and Jas decided to make thier exit. Their laughter died away as they turned and ran for their lives. They seperated in opposite directions to avoid her oncoming attack. Jake went left while at exactly the same time, and without a word being said between them, Jasper went right. They raced around the courtyard for a bit with Lilith trying, in vain, to catch them both.

Blinded by her anger it didn't even occur to Lilith there was no was no way she was going to be able to catch them. Their every move was synced perfectly with the others and not an ounce of energy was waisted between them. They were both surprisingly swift and agile for their small stature and whenever Lilith got too close to one the other would jump in to serve as a with her chest heaving with each breath and sweat running down her temples Lilith slowed and watchd in irritation as the the two little brats ran off laughing giving each other a high-five as they dissapeared around the corner of the stable.

_'Just you wait this isn't over yet'_, Lilith promised herself as she turned to go inside and get cleaned up.

Nanny 1 carefully peeked around the corner of the stable, searching apprehensively for her tormentors, were she had watched the whole scene unfold. Calling her over Lilith tapped her foot imapiently as Nanny 1 slowly approached clearly expecting to be blamed for the boys unruly behavior.

"Seeing as how I have aquired the slime and muck that was ment for you it only seems fair that you go prepare me a bath so I can get cleaned up," Lilith stated smiling sweetly as she wiped her face o her sleeve to remove the worst of the sweat and mud splattered there.

Seeing the glint in her eye Nanny 1 readily agreed and raced off into the house to make sure all prepared for her coming bath. Lilith started inside mumbling woes and curses upon her impish little brothers that would even think of doing something like this to _HER_ of all people. So caught up she was in her cursing that Lilith didn't notice passing Malphius who sleepely staggered down the corridor past her.

Lilith stopped dead in her track however at the stort of laughter that had escaped Malphius' lips. He had done a double take to now stare at her disheveled, muddy appearance. He quickly slapped a hand over his mouth, to smother the laughter that still lingered there, as Lilith glared daggers in his direction just daring him to even think of laughing at her.

"So...", Malphius started, "What's happened to you so early this fine day?" He questioned lightly as he proceded to stuff his hands in his pockets trying to act like it was no big deal, but he was secretly dying to know who had gotten the better of his sister.

Without waiting for her to relpy he continued, "You know I thought you were too old to be play in the mud and making pies with that gunk from the bottom of the pond is just gross you know. "

Pausing he lifted his hand to scratch absently at his chin, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth, before continuing once again, "Guess somebody didn't like your pies very much, huh?"

When he said that another snort escaped as Malphius tried and failed to shcool his featuers as he took in her filthy disheveled appareance before him.

"Well Malphius," Lilith relpied in an icy voice, "do you really want to know what happened?" She eyed her brother closely and saw that he had finally seen the dangerous glint in her deep eyes and stance as she stood there waiting for his responce to the new found danger. Lilith made a promise to herself right then. If Malphius got the hint and dropped the subject just walking away so would she, but if for some suicidal reason he couldn't just let it go at that he would definatly regret it.

While they had been standing there in the hallway having this little chat Lilith kept seeing someone eavesdropping from around the bend in the hall behind Malphius. It was rather shady so she wasn't sure of the identy of the person watching them aho was trying and failing to stay unoticed as they peeked farther and farther around the corner.

Malphius had been watching Lilith closely as she stared intenly past his left shoulder. Confused by her sudden distraction and the death glare she was giving his shoulder he couldn't help but think that she looked like one of the maids or the nanny after the twins had pulled one of their slimey little pranks. Idelly he wondered how much longer the current nanny would last until she snapped or just quit. She was hanging in there, but anyone that had to watch those two all day was bound to loose it at some point.

Never one to dance around the subjet Malphius casually asked, "You didn't happen to run into Jake and Jas this morning did you? 'Cause last night I heard them planning to slime that nanny of theirs today..." he trailed off when he saw some thing that did not reassure him.

At the mention of _those_ two Lilith's attention was snapped back to the face of her older brother. Her eyes widened as he shared this little fact that could have saved her a whole morning of trouble had she known it ahead of time.

In the background the sound of feet belonging to the eveasdropper quickly padded away, but Lilith had overthings on her mind now besides someone who was spying on them.

Lilith could only stare as a million thoughts rushed through her head too fast for to form them into a verbal response. Her main thought being something along the lines of 'WHAT!?!? Malphius knew the little creeps were planning something, but was too lazy to give everyone the heads up about it?!' 'Why are the twins so immature as tostill play pranks anyway? Thye're already 13 after all and most people around here consider that to be nearly grown.' 'I haven't been caught up in one of their pranks in years. Why now when my 18th birthday is just one week away?'

Lilith was jolted out of her silent rambeling by the loud abrasive hee-hawing of her older brother. He had watched with great facination as the different expresions skittered across her mud-splattered countnance. It was certainly a sight to see Lilith so at a loss for words, standing there gaping like a fish out of water, covered in the mud, slime, and who knows what else all over her.

Interuped from her thoughts, filthy and stinking, tired from chasing demons and the fact that she had been left in charge of such creatures, along with the fact that her only sibling that was saposed to be more mature that her was bent double laughing his face off at her pitiful state was to much for her to bear, Lilith snapped.

It was suddenly deathly quiet in the narrow hallway as Malphius felt the draw of power flow through the unusually cool air. He knew this feeling. He would never foget it. The first time he had felt it was also the first time he really thought that he might die. Looking into his younger sister's shimmering violet eyes Malphius finally realized how truely pissed off Lilith really was. He gaze dropped to her throat and he took a step back when he saw ti was bare.

"Come on Lilith calm down. It was just a joke, nothing really."

Holding his hands up in a defensive postion Malphius slowly back away as he tried to calm his sister, who was clearly overreating in his oppinion to a simple prank.

Feeling the pain in her bones and unusual coolness ofthe air on her heated skin along with the flooding of power that filled her head just waiting to be let loose, Lilith turned and ran. She ran toward her room as fast as she could. _'No'_, she told herself._ 'I won't use it . I won't hurt anyone... again.'_

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Lilith reamined sitting on the floor of her room almost afraid to move. Everything that had happened that day was still too frsh in her mind.

"Man I need a vacation," She said to no one as an idea began to form in her mind.


End file.
